Lake Forest College football player A.J. Jackson was announced on Thursday as one of 18 semifinalists for the 2024 Gagliardi Trophy, Presented by Stearns Bank.

The Gagliardi Trophy, given annually since 1993, is awarded to the most outstanding NCAA Division III football player and recognizes excellence in athletics, academics, and community service. The award is named after John Gagliardi, Saint John's legendary Hall of Fame head football coach who passed away at the age of 91 in 2018. John retired in 2012 with 489 career victories, the most in college football history.

Jackson was also named a First Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association on Tuesday and the Midwest Conference Offensive Skill Most Valuable Player on November 22. The graduate student saw significant time at running back, wide receiver, and kick returner this season and ranks tied-for-first in the nation with 28 total touchdowns and 16.8 points per game. He is also tied-for-second in the country with 21 rushing touchdowns, fifth with 165.3 all-purpose yards per game, and seventh with 15.6 yards per punt return.

Jackson led this year's Foresters with 650 rushing yards on just 92 carries and was the team's leading receiver with 40 catches for 760 yards and seven touchdowns.

Jackson finished his career as the NCAA Division III record-holder with nine career punt return touchdowns while his 21.2 yards per return ranks fifth and his 6,610 all-purpose yards 26th. He is also the Foresters' career leader with 72 total touchdowns, 434 points, 6.9 yards per carry, and 26.6 yards per kickoff return and ranks second in team annals with 187 catches and 3,125 receiving yards.

Lake Forest posted an overall record of 10-1 and captured its third conference title in the last four years with a perfect 9-0 mark in league play. The Foresters reached the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament, where Jackson rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 67 yards and another score in a loss at Bethel University. Lake Forest won 33 of the 41 games in which he appeared during his career.

In addition to his exploits on the football field, Jackson has served as vice president of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and actively participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also organized annual Feed My Starving Children events and led Relay for Life fundraising efforts.

Academically, Jackson graduated in 2023 with a major in philosophy and a minor in computer science and is now pursuing a master's degree in liberal studies. He also had internships as a global market analyst at Trinity Manufacturing and as a law office intern at Leonard Law Office.

The list of 18 semifinalists features another quarterback-heavy class, as well as nominees from all six NCAA regions. Nearly all the semifinalists participated in at least the first round of the Division III playoffs. There are five nominees that return from last year's list, including the 2023 recipient.
 
A fan vote, which runs until Dec. 13, is available on D3football.com.

The Gagliardi Trophy finalists will be announced during a live show at 4 p.m. ET Thursday, Dec. 19, on D3football.com, and the 2024 Gagliardi Trophy winner will be revealed on D3football.com during the week of the NCAA Division III football national championship game.